I know what you may be thinking: why would you spend any significant amount of money on a gold Apple Watch? Well, this isn’t an Apple Watch Edition, but it’s the closest thing available to my wallet. This Apple Watch and Link Bracelet was beautifully plated with 18K gold and it looks stunning.

I’m not even a fan of gold, but I can definitely appreciate the beauty here. This is just about as classy as it gets if you’re into the style. Last week, this used to be an ordinary Apple Watch, but a few days with the people over at WatchPlate changed it for life. If you’re not into spending a boat load of cash on an Apple Watch Edition, this is the next best thing and quite possibly a better option…

I opted for the Link Bracelet combination, but they can plate any stainless steel Apple Watch with any band style for the same price. I was very impressed with the quality. Sure, it’s not solid gold like you’d get straight from Apple, but at the same time it’s way less of a liability and looks just as good. Every inch of this Apple Watch is covered in gold and over the last week, it has held up great.

The cool thing about this gold plated Link Bracelet is that you can’t even buy this configuration from Apple. It’s completely unique, unless you’re Beyonce, Kanye West, or Karl Lagerfeld. I realize this kind of thing may not be for everyone, but if you’re looking for an Edition on a budget WatchPlate will serve up the goods for $399 and the turnaround time is only four days. For a detailed look at our gold plated Apple Watch, take a look at the video below.

Check out our gold plated Link Bracelet Apple Watch unboxing & hands-on video:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRnvqHJUE74]

I think this specific version is absolutely gorgeous and if anything, may prove to be an interesting social experiment. I chose yellow over rose gold and have no regrets. I’m not big on wearing flashy gold stuff, but this gold plated tech has changed my mind a bit. My opinions on Apple Watch remain the same, but this look is hard to pass up. If you wanna check out our full review, click here.

Another favorite combination of mine, is the Leather Loop with the 42mm gold plated Apple Watch (shown in video). It’s a very clean combination and again would be another combination that you can’t purchase as a package from Apple. Just another way to stand out in the crowd.

Plating the Apple Watch won’t affect its functionality or water-proofing at all. Everything will be just as it was when purchased from Apple, but with a little added bling. I think it’s a great idea and you’ll get the same look and attention (if you’re looking for that) as you would with an Edition. There’s no doubt that this is an attractive piece of technology, but the gold plating definitely bumps it up a few notches. If you’d like to find out about gold plating your Apple Watch, visit WatchPlate’s website for more details.